The Gen1 Renaissance Why the E53 X5 is Cool At Last!

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#x5 #bmw #suv #carreview #30d #cars #childseat #review #mpg

[markgreene]

We've had our 2004 X5 since new. It's been spectacular and at 20 years old we're keeping it. Very few repairs and a joy to drive.

[truehighs]

Lol I just bought an x5 2003, 3.0 sport facelift, black, on lpg with 225k miles, the engine is still a powerhouse!

[andrewlloyd]

I purchased a BMW X5 2005 E53 4.8IS in January 2023, 99545 miles currently, since the purchase, I've had an LPG conversion, new xtrons head unit, new id4motion instrument cluster (£1200), new tyres, new ignition coils, front and rear diffs serviced, new brakes and discs, new atf and filter, new rear lights, rear window tints, LPG only £1 a litre, and the car runs so much better on LPG, no loss of power or performance, in fact it's awesome! Next is new upgraded headlights, but now it's the instrument cluster for a service and repair. THE BMW E53 X5 4.8IS IS FAST BECOMING A SOUGHT AFTER VEHICLE AND A FUTURE CLASSIC, IT WILL ONLY GO UP IN VALUE.

[CarSoul]

Fantastic video mate! Saved me making one on it 😂 BX ready when you are

[joshuakhaos]

Gen 1 X5's are awesome. I've considered buying one and enjoying it for a bit, its a car from my childhood during the 2000s after all. Plus the Gen 1's are from arguably BMW's peak in terms of design. late 90s- mid 2000s is when BMW just made timeless designs.

[ingvartorma]

In Sweden, these old BMW X5 and X3 have no value, so they rebuild the gearbox so that the maximum speed is 30 km/h or 18.64 mph and you remove the back seat and put a mesh wall behind the front seats. These are then called A-Tracs, which can be driven by young people aged 16 who have obtained a tractor card.

[MrToranaGuy]

We have had a 2001 e53 4.4 v8 model for about 6 years now, It's been a good vehicle, good amount of space, good amount of power, not too bad on economy, tows well and has great BMW character from the era. They are also not too hard to do DIY maintenance on either. If you keep it looking tidy on the outside, it's surprising that they are 20 or so years old now.

Plenty of aftermarket parts support to help keep them running too.

[joserangel]

I went from a 997.1 Porsche 911 to an E53 LCI X5 3.0, comparing the two, I actually enjoy driving the X5 more. Fuel economy is essentially the same between my E53 X5 and the Porsche I sold, I want to say I got 17.9mpg on the 997.1 Porsche and I currently get 18.6mpg on the E53 X5. I've been looking at the first gen X5M and one would essentially get the same fuel consumption as a 3.0 E53 X5.

My E53 X5 LCI 3.0 has about 86, XXX miles on it and is immaculate inside and out. I added a Bluebus for Bluetooth streaming from my phone and the USB-C ports from later generation BMWs fit perfectly below the air vents in the rear. Solid experience for me so far.

[f-carguy]

Amazing how this is the same size as an x3 now! I remember driving this when it first came out, my parents got one as a loaner when their 3 series was in for service. It felt so big on the road and had a commanding driving position. Felt so great to drive, solid, high quality cabin. I think I drove the v8 as they had just launched at the time.
Great video Ben as always, keep up the good work👍

[geeniusatwrok]

I have a 2001, M54 3.0 with the 5-speed manual and almost 200, 000 miles. It runs beautifully, does not leak, and on the outside it looks terrible — peeling clearcoast, lots of dings and scratches, which is fine because then I don't have to care about leaving it at the airport for weeks, unlike my F30 which the one time I did park there for a week got about three door dings from asshats. Bought it from a BMW loon who rescued it from a side yard where it had been sitting for some time, spent a stupid amount of money in parts and repairs most of which he did himself, and now I've got a very reliable beater that I drive 350 miles each way multiple times a year with no problems other than its thirst for fuel. E53 is like the Volvo 240 of BMWs!

[RL-ogod]

Totally agree. Been looked at the F15 X5 for a while now. Have a G01 X3 but think we may just have to get the F15!!

[wozmac]

It was always the coolest. Still has the best design.

[FRFRANKIE]

Hi Ben and daughter.
Hope your doing good.
That was one cool video. I like the old dash layout better.

[JaseSung]

My current E46 330ci is my favourite childhood nostalgia car, but if I didn’t have that, without a doubt I’d have one of these.

[bbkingwasthegreatest]

I have the e53 manual six, believe me this is the one very aggressive gearing it will wheelspin from a standing start, great fun and super cool.

[RafeAbrook]

Great video. As someone on his 4th E53 now, I would always choose the V8 over the straight six petrol as the economy is pretty much the same, but the performance is significantly better. My 4.8is averaged 21.5mpg as it had the later 6 speed autobox, which put it above all of the earlier petrols. Obviously a facelift diesel is your best bet for a daily, but my current 4.6is is part of a fleet and I have a diesel E Class for long family runs anyway!

[JonWhitworth]

Good rival for the 955 / 957, but the Porsche badge still wins out for me. Love seeing these on the road though and the patina just adds to the character. Great vid!

[hamza-m]

I've been running a 4.8is facelift version for little over a year now.

Mine definitely does have ISOFix (two child seats in the back). I'm not a fan of SUVs and its not our primary car but its pretty good for those long Euro trips. In our use case it does manage a decent 25/26mpg average which isn't great by modern standards but pretty good for something of this age and size.

I keep thinking to replace it, but everything more modern is so much bigger and even worse to drive (not really a fan of SUVs and how they drive).

[Fc-cbtn]

They’ve always been cool. These were the first SUVs to not roll over even when you think of tackling a bend, and they had big NA V8s too. Also pre E65 BMWs were built like bricks. My father has owned an E39 528i since brand new and of all the times it has been run into by some bellend, they walked away with much more damage than us (one Saab even crumpled its front grille while the 5 only sustained a scratch the size of a finger).

[peterkiss]

Pop off the little plastic covers on the rear seats that look like some sort of a hinge cover down there the back rest and you'll find your ISOFIX! 😉